WARNING: This article discusses sexual abuse and may be distressing for some readers
A convicted child sex offender currently serving a 12-year prison term has had another 10 years added to his sentence after two more victims came forward, revealing they were also abused by him.
This has brought Todd Gibbons’ number of known victims to four.
The 55-year-old’s offending dates back to 1999 when he raped a 12-year-old girl after taking her for a ride in his car and plying her with alcohol.
The girl documented the assault in her diary, which was later discovered by an adult.
In 2006, Gibbons, of Whangārei, sexually abused a second victim over 12 months.
The victim disclosed the abuse to her father in 2014, and Gibbons was later charged in relation to both victims.
As a result, he was sentenced in 2016 to 12 years’ imprisonment in the Whangārei District Court on two admitted charges of rape, 12 of unlawful sexual connection, a representative charge of attempted sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and one count of sexual conduct with a girl under 12.
But in 2022, two additional victims came forward, prompting further court action against Gibbons.
He was found guilty at a trial in November last year, and the Crown requested the case be transferred to the High Court for consideration of preventive detention.
Today, he was sentenced in the High Court at Whangārei, where it was heard that the third victim was raped by Gibbons when she was aged between 5 and 9 years old.
The fourth victim was also a young child when Gibbons forced her, on several occasions, to perform oral sex on him.
Years later, while Gibbons was on bail for the earlier charges, he raped the girl.
The court heard he encouraged her to take painkillers with alcohol before the rape.
Crown lawyer Bernadette O’Connor said there was a pattern of behaviour in Gibbons’ offending, and he took any opportunity he could to sexually offend.
Two psychological reports submitted to the court had found Gibbons continued to deny or minimise his behaviour, and blamed his victims.
“He appears to blame them for offending and [claimed] that they made advances towards him, and the 8-year-old initiated it ...” O’Connor said, referring to the reports.
She submitted Gibbons did not appear motivated by treatment and had been assessed as an above-average risk of reoffending.
O’Connor argued for a sentence of preventive detention, an indeterminate prison sentence, submitting it was the only way to protect the community from him.
But Gibbons’ lawyer, Mathew Ridgley, submitted another psychological report, which countered the Crown’s reports.
The report assessed Gibbons at a low risk of reoffending and noted he was on a waitlist for special treatment and was undertaking an adult intervention relapse programme.
Ridgley submitted his client’s offending was limited to the clusters of time during which he violated the four victims, and he had not offended against children since 2009, except for the later rape of the fourth girl.
Justice Greg Blanchard said the victims were highly vulnerable and Gibbons’ offending was premeditated and repeated.
The judge accepted that Gibbons remained an average risk but was not satisfied, given Gibbons’ age, that it was likely he would sexually reoffend when released.
“I consider a lengthy finite sentence will be sufficient to prevent you from the community. I decline to impose a sentence of preventive detention.”
Gibbons, who is nine years into his first 12-year sentence, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on the new charges.
It was imposed cumulatively, meaning he would serve the sentences consecutively.
Gibbons was also added to the child sex offender register.
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice
